Only a few hardy insects can remain active during the
winter, moving about to feed and even to reproduce. One such hardy animal
is the snow crane fly (Tipulidae: Chionea sp.). Snow crane flies
spend most of their time in the space between the soil surface and the
snow, which acts as an insulating blanket. Temperatures underneath the
snow often remain close to freezing, even when the air temperature above
plummets below zero. When the surface temperature is above freezing, these
spider-like flies can be seen wandering about on the snow's surface searching
for food, a mate, or spots to lay eggs. This fly was found on the ski
trail at Neshota Park.
Not only is this fly winter active it does not fly. These "wingless"
species actually do have tiny non-functional wings. All the wingless species
are winter-active, and it is assumed that wings are a disadvantage for locomotion
within the snow. Winter is indeed a tough time to be an active animal, but
those that can adapt to such a lifestyle probably encounter fewer competitors
for resources and fewer predators, parasites, and diseases.

The crane fly family (Tipulidae) contains more species
than any other family of flies. Most of them are winged (like the crane
fly shown at left in the large photo--30K),
and often resemble large mosquitoes, though they do not bite humans. Many
crane flies, including Chionea, live in soil (feeding on decaying
material) as larvae.